Setting the wrong right
by GriffinFromGauda
Summary: Sensei/Onee san/Hikki continuation after alternate V14 loner end.
1. Chapter 1

"Well then, see you later Sensei.", Hachiman raised his hand in farewell and shut the car door.

Hiratsuka replayed their conversation in her head once she was alone, speeding along the deserted night road. What distinguished an adult from a child? She had often wondered about the question, physical development aside what created an adult's outlook? As far as her students were concerned, Hachiman or Yukino both exhibited intelligence comparable or, rather, superior to that of most of adults she had seen. Yet, there was a clear difference in maturity between them and her, was it all just a function of their life experiences? Both had a clear mastery of logic, yet it seemed they were unable or unwilling to confront their own desires and motivations. Pride? Adults had their pride as well, adults were also dishonest with themselves. No, it wasn't pride alone though it definitely played a part. Teenagers, she felt, lacked the sense of urgency that characterized adulthood. Though they might know they were growing up, they never truly lost their belief in the permanence of the school's social structure till they were finally ejected from it.

Once these same individuals entered college, however, there was a reckoning with the future. The selection of college, in the first place, required a reflection on what one wished to pursue as a career. A career being more or less permanent, it further emphasized the transitionary nature of the college. The milestone of legal adulthood and the increase in personal autonomy also encouraged further personal development. In school all the students were dressed per regulations while in college fashion became a statement of personality, serving a purpose of signalling to other likeminded people. In college, one needed to redefine who they were and who they wish to be and, free of the baggage of the past, they were free to sculpt their own mask however they wished to. Given a chance to break out of their moulds, even asocial loners recognized the utility of social connections and social butterflies recognized the impermanence of their networks of influence, maintained even in school through extraordinary efforts for the most part. Acknowledgement of the impermanence of one's surroundings and a generally more relaxed social scene fostered personal growth, driven not as Hachiman feared by the desire to conform or meet external expectations but personal curiosity and desires. Along with the fear of failure, the fear of never trying is born and propels individuals out of the inertia engendered by the former.

The Service Club was stuck in stasis, the interpersonal connections frozen by the fear of wrecking the status quo. Rather, trying to suppress the tectonic forces under the surface were actually leading to its disintegration, that much was obvious to her. Even then, while unintentionally hurting each other was one thing they would not be able to bring themselves to intentionally hurt each other. It was the trolley problem, only the clock was ticking till graduation and at that point the trolley would run over all of them. Teenage idealism, however, puts the virtue of self-sacrifice on a pedestal, prone as it is to the moralizing influences adults know to suppress when convenient. A sense of urgency would resolve the situation, however it ended, and begin the process of recovery for any damage sustained but as things stood they would never develop that sense till it was too late.

Her advice, however much introspection it fostered in Hachiman, wouldn't introduce that sense of urgency. If this were a romantic comedy, a rival would be a good way to artificially induce such a sense but the rivals here were friends and acted as checks on each other more than the catalyst they usually were.

"Well, I can't make the horse drink can I?", she said to herself, pulling up to the spot she had brought Hachiman to less than a few hours back.

"No, it's just that no one has taste nowadays."

It was embarrassing how she had blushed. She had been trying to be the wise old mage figure dispensing advice, mages didn't blush did they? Perhaps they did, though, no one knew what was going on under their beards. Maybe that was why they kept those beards, so they could conceal their facial expressions. She had expected the brat to build off her own self-deprecating joke, prepared to hit him with the can, but she hadn't expected the compliment. Perhaps he had changed somewhat after all, despite all his protests.

"Ah, if only I had been fifteen years younger!", she stretched while blowing smoke out into the ocean.

She hadn't been fortunate enough to find another loner in her school days, leave alone one of the opposite sex. It wasn't exactly Japanese men's taste that was lacking, it was more her own refusal to get involved in any social setting beyond work that had marked her out for the marriage jokes. While even loners did socialize as adults, it never went beyond the most basic level for them in most cases. Socializing as an end in itself remained unattractive, though socializing with an objective in mind did become unavoidable.

Her interactions with her students were her first brush with the kind of drama that normal people live through and, knowing she was in a world apart where it couldn't possibly affect her, she didn't mind getting involved in her student's dramatic lives. So far, though, they had been rather bland compared to what she was seeing at the moment. It almost made her want to be one of the main characters, she could definitely see herself falling for the dense protagonist. She was a teacher, though, she reminded herself. Her role would have to stay restricted to a supporting member. There was no other way about it.

"Well then, Hikigaya kun. I guess this is goodbye."

"Yeah, I guess."

Hiratsuka had resigned herself to failure. She had been hoping for a climatic confession on the day of graduation, a nail biter that would confound her expectations but it looked like it wasn't about to happen. The prom had ended, there wasn't going to be another opportunity like this. A bitter ending to a wrong love comedy, it was apt in the end even if was sad. Then again, perhaps she had been projecting her own desires on the two, if they didn't recognize their feelings after all that had happened then perhaps what was there between the two hadn't been what she had thought, perhaps it truly was her own creation. If wanting to preserve the status quo even at the moment of separation was what drove them then would another kind of ending truly be happy? Would feelings that weak last the test of time?

"Spying on someone, Shizuka?", Haruno's playful voice sounded from behind her.

"The same as you.", she returned, turning to face the older Yukinoshita. If it had been her instead of Yukino, this would not be the way it would all end but then she wouldn't have started the Service Club in the first place.

"Irritating, isn't it? So much energy expenditure without any result, I swear manipulating people into breaking up is easier than getting them to get together.", Haruno pouted.

"I wouldn't know.", Hiratsuka held off on asking how Haruno did.

"Well, perhaps it would be easier with some more cooperative puppets.", Haruno sighed, "I hate losing."

"I thought you were doing this for your sister."

"Of course, I do care about my puppets."

Hiratsuka smirked, Haruno's mask never slipped.

"On that topic. Why were you doing this?"

"Visual Novels doesn't scratch the itch anymore."

"So you wanted to add the Sensei route to his?"

She had just taken a sip from the glass in her hand, while sputtering it over the smug girl in front of her was appealing she swallowed it hard before replying.

"That's preposterous. I'm his teacher."

"That's your line at the beginning of the story. Now you're supposed to say 'Once you pass your exams' while getting flustered."

"Very funny.", she said frowning at the giggling girl in front of her, "If you'll excuse me, I should go talk with some of my colleagues, this'll be my last party here after all."

"Oh, right, I almost forgot you were getting transferred. Hope you get the flags at your next school, Sensei. Your blush is awakening something in even my heart."

Shaking her head, she walked away from Haruno. It wasn't her words so much as the image they drew up that had prompted her blush. A vivid imagination does have its drawbacks.

"Haah. That was tiring.", Hiratsuka muttered to herself as she entered the Starvucks. Being a new teacher again was tiring, her class was nice at least. Introducing herself to all the teachers, having to go out for smokes and establishing her presence in class would all take time and effort. She found herself with a new understanding of those people who never switched jobs throughout their career in the private sector.

"Welcome to…", she looked up from rummaging through her purse at the barista having stopped midsentence.

"Huh?", she wondered what kind of odds this had of happening, "Hikigaya kun?"


	2. Chapter 2

"Sensei. What are you doing here?", Hachiman was staring at her.

"I got transferred, my school's right around the corner. What about you?", Hiratsuka felt stupid asking the question given his uniform but it was still the only thing she could ask.

"I'm working here part time. My college is a few corners away though.", he replied.

"Talk about unlikely.", she mused.

"Well, live long enough and even the most unlikely…", Hachiman grimaced and stopped.

"Don't make me punch you here, it'll be trouble for both of us.", Hiratsuka smiled sweetly, raising her bunched fist menacingly under the counter.

"Sure. May I take your order?", Hachiman said, rapidly switching subjects.

Once she had her drink in hand, she began walking back but turned a few steps away and asked, "When does your shift end?"

"After two more hours."

"Oh? I have some work at school but I should be done by then, let's talk about how your college is going.", Hiratsuka paused wondering if she was being pushy. She wasn't his teacher any longer after all, it wouldn't be odd if he didn't want to spend time talking with her.

"Sure, I'll be looking forward to it.", he answered.

Walking out of the store, she couldn't wipe the smile off her face. Was she so nostalgic about her old school that meeting one of her old students was enough to improve her mood? She reasoned that it was just the anxiety of the new workplace that was getting to her, after all people who spend time away from even a hated hometown come to grow nostalgic about it. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, even for uncooperative brats.

She had found three ramen joints within walking distance by the time she reached the school. Settling on one, she sent the link to Hachiman and, with something to look forward to once the paperwork was done, dived into it with renewed vigour.

"So how's college going?", she asked once they were done placing their orders.

"No one's assaulted me and forced me into a club so far, otherwise not different from school. Skipping classes is fun, though."

"You know; I might not be your teacher anymore but I'm still an adult figure. I should lecture you."

"To the contrary, you should be happy. I'm fitting in with my classmates on one count at least."

"I'm not actually going to lecture but keep it in bounds, you don't want to end up working in a coffee joint all your life do you?"

"Depends. Is this a Max coffee joint we're talking about?"

A fresh bowl of ramen being placed in front of her, Hiratsuka chose to ignore him and begin eating. After a few minutes, Hachiman broke the silence.

"How's your new school?"

"No one has submitted sanctimonious essays advocating mass suicide for classwork so far, otherwise not different from Sobu High."

"Well students are a bit warier around older…"

"Should you be saying that when I have two sharp pieces of wood in my hand?"

"If you stab me here, you'll be banned from a shop conveniently close to your work."

"Understood. I'll remember to bring the sticks with me when we leave."

Tilting her head to a side, Hiratsuka broached the question that had been on her mind.

"Have you been in contact with anyone from the Service Club?"

Hachiman paused eating and shook his head, "Not really. We all went to different colleges, I think Yukinoshita san and Yuigiahama san's ones are at least near each other but neither are near here."

"This isn't the 19th century, you don't need to meet someone physically to stay in touch."

"True but most people don't regardless. Relationships are born out of proximity, once that disappears it's healthier to let the relationship crumble too. People who can't accept that almost always end up being the one who texts first and waits hours for a reply. We wouldn't be here right now, for example, if your school wasn't near my college."

"You make it sound like no one maintains contact after they stop being forced together, that's not true."

"You might but it won't be a true relationship. With relatives you meet once a year for example, you might share some stories and eat together but its more out of obligation than any real desire to do so, otherwise there wouldn't be specific days where you were meant to meet your extended family, you could arrange them spontaneously. Humans are territorial animals, the desire to socialize is usually restricted to those who we regularly see."

"All of what you say is true for most people but it isn't set in stone, there are always exceptions. Shouldn't you at least try to stay in touch?"

"Don't you think it's too optimistic to expect a loner to outdo even the most social people in maintaining social connections?"

"We value what we have little of, you should value the few connections you were able to make."

"It's not like I can't make them, I don't feel the need to.", Hachiman responded obstinately.

"If you could go back and make it so you never entered the Service Club, would you do it?", Hiratsuka asked, leaning forward.

"Well..that's…"

"You'd never have felt the need to join it though. If you only do what you feel you 'need' to, you will live the same kind of life you had in school before joining the club. Is that the future you want?"

"Most of us don't get the future we want. I think there are many unhappy people in the world who'd have been better off if they had never entered into certain relationships."

"To avoid being unhappy you'd rather never be happy?"

"Happiness is like a bad drug. After its effects wear off you need an even greater stimulus to achieve that high and going back to your previous situation makes you miserable, even those in a relationship acknowledge this when they talk of the 'honeymoon period'."

"You're still stuck in that mindset, huh?", Hiratsuka sighed.

_I thought you'd change_, she left unsaid.

Stepping out onto the street, they began walking towards the train station. Just a few months back, she had assumed she was seeing the last of the Service Club trio, or at least the last time she'd see two of them. Imagining Hachiman or Yukinoshita at a school reunion was rather difficult, bordering on impossible. They were the kind of people who forgot everyone once they left them behind, not that they paid much attention to others even before that.

"Say, Hikigaya kun, have you been making any friends in college?", Hiratsuka stole a quick glance in his direction to see if he displayed any reaction. It was subtle but his pupils had been travelling upward before he noticed her and set his face back to normal.

"Not really, didn't get around to it."

"Your graduation ceremony isn't going to be a good time to get around to it, you know?"

"I disagree, if they first get to know my name during the graduation ceremony, it'll definitely make an impression. It'll be another fruit of my mastery of stealth Hikki."

"Were you planning to join the intelligence services? I can't see any other industry wanting that particular skill."

"Sensei, in the modern day we have corporate espionage."

"Hiratsuka.", she said drawing to a halt.

"Eh?"

"I'm not your teacher anymore. Being called Sensei feels odd, use my name."

"Then…would Oba san be fine? Oomph!"

Hiratsuka had jabbed him in the side with her elbows, cutting ahead of him and then crashing into him with the combined force of their momentum.

"I see I didn't fulfil my duties in school, I must take remedial classes for you.", she said icily once they had resumed walking.

"I'm not aiming to be a boxer; I don't see why I need these classes."

"Oh my? You don't? I thought it'd be clear, if that twisted mind of yours is going to refuse to cooperate then I will just make your instincts do so. Eventually every time you're about to be rude to someone you'll instinctually remember the pain."

"Doesn't positive and negative reinforcement go side by side?"

They had arrived at the station; Hachiman's house was further down the street and Hiratsuka had to leave. Turning, she looked into his eyes. The light from the station coming from behind her obscured her face and the strands of light cutting through her hair gave her a phantom silhouette as she said, "What is the antonym of pain?"


	3. Chapter 3

Loud music was shaking the bed, the floor, his very skull it seemed. Twisting and turning on his bed desperately to sleep, Hachiman thought back to the comfort of staying in a house alone. He had managed to kill enough of his dorm mate's attempts at breaking the ice to become the resident shut in no one knew but he still had to deal with people being loud outside the locked door. In civilized society, someone would call the police and that'd be the end of the ordeal but college, like school, was a place where the atmosphere advocated for all sorts of moronic behaviour on the grounds of youthful vigour.

Would he ever regret not participating in such antics? Never. In any case, even if he did participate for curiosity's sake, he'd probably remain too self-aware to act as the typical party goer did. The dances at prom had made him realize it, while in movies the world vanishes for the pair and they act in sync effortlessly while staring dreamily into each other's eyes, in reality he was painfully aware of all the eyes watching him and his own gaze flitted from the audience to his legs, constantly wondering if they'd end up laughing about his dance in secret.

It was too loud; he finally gave up trying to sleep and rolled off his bed. It was only 11 at night but living alone had increased his sleeping time exponentially. Locking the door behind him, he emerged onto the road. Save for his recent encounter with the future assault and battery convict, he hadn't been talking to other people much. If it weren't for his part time job, he'd probably have set a personal record for most days spent without speaking but asking people if they wanted sugar couldn't really count for conversation. More than anything from his past life, he missed his little sister. Before he had joined the Service Club, she had been the only one who he could truly talk to and, on reflection, even after he did enter it, he only spoke his mind with her.

Relationships were biologically addictive, beneath the veneer of intelligence they wore everyone was in the end the product of Darwinian evolution, millions of years of evolution as a pack animal was impossible to ignore. Put a man in solitary long enough and he can go insane, that's the strength of that biological instinct. Yet, Hachiman couldn't help but think that he wouldn't, provided he was able to occupy his time with other activities. After all, there were thousands of hikkikomoris across Japan, possibly millions across the world who survived without social contact. They occupied themselves with the internet in the modern day, in the past ascetics would go off into the mountains and occupy themselves in their self-imposed exile with meditation. He hadn't been much different, yet the taste of social interaction he had got in the last years of his school life had changed him. Why did he crave the light banter he had shared with Yukinoshita again? Why did he look forward to the meal with Hiratsuka and try to steer their conversations in the manner they had interacted in the past? Only because he had given in, if he had never given in, he wouldn't have felt the emptiness in his stomach every day he went to bed without having talked to a single person. In middle school, he had tried hard and failed. That was likely the result that awaited him even if he tried in college, after all even in high school most people disliked him. Those that didn't were difficult to encounter, for the simple reason that loners would never initiate conversation. Were it not for the club, would he ever have talked with any of those he met?

"God that was crazy!"

"I know right, I thought that guy's neck snapped."

The raised, high pitched voices rang across the road coming from the entry of Hachiman's dorm. He had been standing at the corner, leaning against a wall underneath a street light. Figuring that the party was over and not willing to get caught in the stream of drunk idiots that would come pouring out, he began walking back, the night was still young and he might just get some sleep before the next day's morning shift.

"Oh? Isn't that!"

He had passed by the drunken party goers head down and shoulders hunched. The voice seemed familiar somehow, he hadn't been particularly good with voices so he might just have confused it though. A pattering of light steps sounded behind him, approaching him. Puzzled, he turned slightly to see what the matter was.

"Hikigaya kun."

A finger pressed into his cheek, digging into it. Though it was semi dark, there was no mistaking that face. What was with the coincidences in his life, Tokyo metropolitan area had a population of 40 million. If he were to get such unlikely odds in his life they could at least be in a lottery or something.

"I'm sorry, that's not me.", he replied brusquely, perhaps if she was drunk enough, she'd be confused and believe him.

"Someone you know?", the group she had been walking with had stopped and someone called out to her.

"Yeah, you guys go on. I'll get a cab home.", Haruno replied cheerily.

"You sure you'll be okay?", a man had stepped out from the group, Hachiman recognized his voice as the one that had called out earlier.

"I'm fine. You know I don't get drunk.", she said waving her hands.

"Well okay then. Text me once you get home.", he answered before turning back.

"You should go with them, it's late after all.", Hachiman muttered softly.

"Eh? But I have a man to protect me, don't I?", she smiled cheekily.

"Heh, dream on. The only physical activity I'm halfway decent at is the sprint.", Hachiman returned.

"You really are good at running away. Almost as good as my sister.", Haruno said, pulling him towards the dorm building by the arm.

"Hey what are you doing?"

"You live here don't you? I know this is a dorm for college students and you're not the type to come to a party like that so the only reason for you being here is you live here."

"Yeah I do but why are you pulling me?"

"I don't want to talk out on the street, let's go to your room."

"Really, let's not.", Hachiman said digging his feet into the ground.

"So cruel. Can't you see I'm too drunk to stand, I really need some place to sit.", Haruno said leaning against him heavily.

"You just said you don't get drunk."

"Turns out I was wrong. Now hurry up, at this rate I might end up needing to be carried if you delay more."

"Please.", Hachiman sighed before digging into his pockets for the keys.

"What are you even doing here?"

"A college student is attending a college party."

"You don't seem like you'd have friends poor enough to live in a dormitory.", Hachiman replied driving the key into the lock.

"You live in a dormitory, don't you?"

"Calling me a friend would be a stretch, wouldn't you say?"

"Would it?" she looked at him with a puzzled expression then climbed onto the bed and propped herself to a sitting position against the wall.

"Yeah it would, we barely talk. We're acquaintances at best."

"At what point does an acquaintance become a friend?"

Hachiman considered for a few seconds before replying, "I guess I'd say when both parties think they are friends?"

"Won't they arrive at that point at different times, though?", Haruno answered.

"Yeah, the first party to come to that point would be mistaken about the nature of the relationship temporarily."

"What relationship works that way though? Do your siblings stop being your siblings because you no longer recognize them as your siblings?"

"Disowning relatives is a practice, yes."

"I'm not talking legally, I'm talking materially. No matter how much you might disown them and ensure they don't inherit, they will always be your sibling, son or whatever."

"How do you propose it works then?"

"Why do you think marriages that haven't been consummated can be annulled? For any other complication you get a divorce, usually, but non consummation is one of the few grounds for total annulment. It's essentially saying that a spousal relationship never existed between the two parties."

"Because consummation is the core reason for marriages to exist in the first place?"

"Indeed, there are material requirements for the relationship between two individuals to be classified a certain way. Friendships are the same, our past interactions qualify us to be friends and, given that I have infinitely more social experience than you, I can confidently say that the source on that is me."

"People can have different standards on as vague a relationship as friendship though."

"Of course, they can, our argument started when you questioned my standard of friendship. Nice to see you admitting you were wrong.", Haruno pushed herself off the bed.

Once the taxi arrived, he walked her to the gate. Turning, he was halfway to the door when she called out.

"Well I know where my friend is now. So, the next time I want to needl…I mean talk with you I'll come calling."

"No please don't. People will notice me if that happens."

"Such a roundabout way to say it. Fine then, I'll text you the location of our next date Tsungaya."

Shutting the door behind him, Hachiman pushed his face into the pillow. What was with his luck, he just wanted to return the old life had. It was like the Universe was conspiring against him. He had developed a newfound empathy for the men who went off to the mountains to become an ascetic.

_**This update is really behind schedule, procrastinating studying for my exams that start in 43 hours and 10 minutes exactly ended up outpowering procrastinating writing this. Next one will probably be around the 20**__**th**__**. **_


	4. Chapter 4

Shizuka found herself glancing at the clock as she hurried with the assignments, a cigarette smouldering wedged between her left index and middle finger that she barely found time to puff at. Last time she had found Hikigaya working his shift at 5PM, since he had time left but was free later, she assumed his shift would end somewhere around 6. Though she had said she'd meet him again, she had forgotten to get his number.

Rushing the last scratches of the pen, she hopped off the stool and hurried to gather up her things. It was 5:45 when she left the building, her pace carefully balanced for speed and not attracting public attention. The streets were thronged with people returning from their offices, it was difficult to cut ahead or navigate around the slower walkers to maintain a high speed. By the time she had reached the café, it was five past six and Hachiman was stepping out of the place in his regular clothes.

"You leaving?", she said as she drew up to him, slowing her pace to look more dignified.

"I thought so but that's not going to happen is it?", he replied in a bland tone.

"What's with the resignation, I had a punch prepared and all."

"You know there aren't any matchmaking programs in prison."

"There it is.", she laughed loudly as she slapped him on the shoulder.

"You know the force behind that had a serious gap with its intention.", he complained as he massaged the point of impact, falling into step behind her.

"If the force was a reality then isn't your conception of the intention wrong?", Hiratsuka asked, turning her head to reply.

"By the way, I met a mutual acquaintance yesterday.", Hachiman said.

"No way, who is it? Someone from your class?"

"No, but she was from yours."

"You mean…?", Hiratsuka asked turning backwards slightly.

"Yes, Oneeshita."

"My, we already have nicknames for each other? At this rate I'm going to be expecting some handholding soon.", a voice interrupted before Hiratsuka could reply.

"Wh…", Hachiman was stunned, in the dense press of people around them Haruno had been camouflaged as she had maintained pace at a close distance.

"Though I have to confess that's a rather formidable homewrecker by you.", Haruno said once they had gotten off the footpath into a street corner where they could stand still.

"So, I'm sure you're wondering how I found you. Fear not, it was not that great deus ex machina, the coincidence. I actually asked around in your dorm's message group for your college and someone told me you work here; I was nearby so I decided to stop over."

"People know where I work in the dorm? Wait there's a message group for the dorm? People at the dorm know who I am?", Hachiman could feel a tidal force of questions forcing themselves out his mouth.

"Fret not, I had to upload an image for someone to recognize you, your loner credentials aren't going to be revoked. That person saw you working here so here I am."

"No, that's how you are here. You still haven't answered the why.", Hachiman persisted.

"Well I was here to get some cute reactions from you but I got an unexpected bonus", Haruno grinned as she turned towards Hiratsuka.

"What could you possibly mean?", she returned.

"Remember our talk regarding visual novels back at school?", Haruno smiled wider, egging her on.

"Seeing how you stalked him, wasn't that comment projection?", Hiratsuka curled her lips in a mock smile.

"Now, now, no need to get mad.", Haruno disengaged throwing her palms up in a motion of peace.

"Did you need something?", Hachiman interjected as sparks flew between the two women and random chunks of ground began flying skyward, reanimated perhaps by the ghost of Leibnitz.

"Entertainment, I thought you were smart enough to deduce that much at least.", Haruno replied.

"Short of cash for the cinemas?", Hiratsuka asked acerbly.

"Even virtual reality can't surpass live theatre.", Haruno returned.

"No, but in all seriousness why did you come here.", Hachiman emphasized.

"I thought I told you this before, you interest me."

"But..."

"More importantly, what are you doing here Sensei?", Haruno cut him off and turned towards Hiratsuka.

"Well…", Hiratsuka paused a moment to gather her thoughts, she had a vague idea of what she was about to do but she hadn't made any hard plans.

"I did a bit of thinking about his major character flaw. Its actually called the dismissive avoidant personality disorder by psychologists, it's reasonably well studied. As the words for the condition itself imply, its not an avoidance out of fear of contact, it's a dismissive avoidance. Those afflicted either claim to not need intimacy, like subject H, or push away those who do come close after claiming they need intimacy."

"So tsunderes?", Haruno nodded her head, "That's another person who agrees with my own assessment, if you're keeping count Tsungaya san."

"When did my character archetype become the subject of majoritarian ballot?"

"Anyway, those who are dismissively avoidant typically believe they are superior to other individuals. John Doe or Jane Doe that is, that doesn't mean they believe they are superior to all they know but they do believe that they are superior to the average stranger they will meet. Not only do they believe they are superior, they have no interest in the lives of these individuals. Thus, they shun friendship and most opportunities at socializing, because both involve a large degree of talk around the lives of individuals, a topic they have very little interest in."

"Kutsundere? You love kitchens Hikigaya kun?"

"That doesn't even sound similar."

"Did you just assume my accent?"

"If the Tsukkomi would cede the floor.", Hiratsuka broke in forcefully.

"This isn't something I got from a psychologist so it might not work but common sense seems to imply that it will.", she turned at the street and pointed a woman.

"5 minutes, give me her life's story."

A small, mousy looking woman was waiting by the side of the street, her bag dangling loosely from her left arm while she fingered at her phone's screen with her right hand. In all, there was nothing remarkable about her, nothing that would make her look like anything apart from the background environment.

Hachiman blinked but no ray of sunlight suddenly decided from the heavens to cover her in glory, nor did her bag turn into a automatic machine gun.

"What do you mean?", he asked.

"Using her appearance, her clothing and her general presence construct a feasible account of her life so far, Liberal Arts student."

"This isn't a detective novel; I won't look at her shoes and see mud that is only found in one prefecture. She looks completely ordinary, at least give me a punk or someone fun if you're going to give me creative writing assignments."

"There.", Hiratsuka raised her index finger straight at him, "Lies your problem."

"You have a template, a general idea of what the general populace is. I won't claim its inaccurate, it probably is accurate. It is your choice, if you do not find them to be interesting you may choose not to associate with them though, speaking as a well-wisher, it won't help you in life. However, you dismiss everyone as uninteresting even before you do get to know them. If you automatically assume everyone around you is uninteresting, you see the impossibility of you ever finding someone interesting, correct?"

"I don't need…"

"Explain your actions after the school trip."

"Huh?"

"I don't know what happened but I do know you reconciled after I had my talk with you, so I assume you were the one who took the initiative and rebuilt that bridge, am I correct?"

"Well…yes...", he muttered, sulking and looking down.

"Why did you do that?"

"A mistake of my youth?"

"The opposite.", Hiratsuka smiled, "You did so to fix a mistake of your youth, it was because you did so that your days in school were more enjoyable than before the Service Club began."

"Isn't thinking that just you trying to justify making us work as unpaid labourers for you?"

"The clock is ticking, Hikigaya.", Hiratsuka raised her wristwatch to eye level in reply.

"I…I see.", he turned again and looked the woman over a few more times.

"Born in Tokyo, average in academics, working in some department of some major corporation now and searching for a husband."

"Based on?"

"Her clothes are reasonably expensive; she has matching accessories so unless its chance she probably spends a lot on dressing up. Her shoes are quiet plain and honestly look a bit beaten up though so she probably isn't someone who does it to satisfy her own aesthetic senses. So, she's middle class but spends like upper middle class on the kind of fashion accessories that are most necessary for sexual appeal. Conclusion, she wants to look good for someone who, guessing her age and the country this is she would be hoping is her future husband."

"Good enough I guess.", Hiratsuka nodded her assent.

"What was that supposed to do?", Haruno asked.

"Give him an interest in an average, everyday individual.", she paused, "Having beautiful women around him in school went to this brat's head."

"I resent that; you might be old enough to not care any more but I still don't like the implication that the two women around him right now aren't attractive.", Haruno mock pouted.

"In any case, this is what I want you to do.", Hiratsuka said as she turned to face Hachiman.

"Write a diary recording the lives of five individuals you saw every day. You can let your imagination run wild; you'll be wrong because assumptions aren't as convenient as they were made out to be by Mr Doyle but that's fine. Then, you will talk to some people for whom you construct a profile prior to talking with them. Wanting to know how wrong or right you were should be a good enough motivator, if I have assumed your character correctly."

"You know, I am a working member of society. Don't you think this is imposing a bit too much?", Hachiman sighed in resignation.

"On the other hand, you will observe many people at your job. You will see how they interact with those they have power over, so you will see their true selves. It is your work that makes this assignment perfect for you.", Hiratsuka dismissed him with a wave.

"Still…"

"You have done many things for others.", Hiratsuka said, "Some that have been appreciated others not so much. You do have people you care about, your family if no one else. Consider how they will feel if you continue on your current trajectory. Is it not at least worth trying? If you feel its pointless or do not go through a change of heart you can always stop, is it really going to require so much effort that you can't even make that attempt."

"I guess.", Hachiman conceded grudgingly.

"Well then, to celebrate the successful closure of this deal, how about we go on a group date.", Haruno said cheerily.

"I don't mind, I have time on my hand today.", Hiratsuka said pretending to check her empty phone calendar.

"I'll pass.", Hachiman said fast.

"Rejected.", Hiratsuka and Haruno said in unison.

"I need a punching bag for if she annoys me too much.", Hiratsuka explained sweetly.

"Everyone will imagine us in lewd yuri situations if we two go alone.", Haruno added.

**Result of trying to motivate myself by setting a public deadline: Failure and great shame. In my defence I was on vacation for two weeks and the sunburn made me lazy even after I returned. **


End file.
